Monday, March 28, 2016

So you say you want a revolution, wellllll ya knowwww


So it's been awhile.




Since my last post things were going pretty well. In the past few months, the Malaria Club (A.K.A my saving grace) distributed 100 nets to neighboring villages in our area. They began the session with the drama that they've done before (MARPs or Most At Risk Populations) showing that because one man decided to choose not to sleep under a bed net, he spread malaria to many different people whose immune systems could not handle it. They also did the percussion ensemble that we've discussed before. Most of these nets went to pregnant women or mothers with young children. The distribution consisted of 4 stations:
  1. Repair: The participants were taught by the secondary students how to properly repair their nets using a needle and thread for small holes and a patch for large holes. Nets were built to last for 3 years so repairs are vital

2. Washing: The participants were taught by secondary students the proper way to wash a net (bar soap only, nothing caustic), how often (once every 3-4 months), and where to dry the net (in the shade, sunlight damages nets)

3. Hanging: Participants were taught by secondary students how to properly hang a net when in us and when not in use. They were also taught how to turn a square net into a circle net. This is important for people who sleep on grass mats or mattresses on the floor.


  1. Distribution and Quiz: Each participant was asked 3 questions about the material they learned. If they answered all 3 correctly, they received their net. If they didn't, the student would send them back to the station that taught the information they didn't understand.

This coming weekend ( April 2) the Malaria Club and I will visit the homes of 25% of the people who received nets to see if the information they were given is correctly used. We are also planning 10 performances over the next two terms (ambitious of them, huh?) and getting them club tshirts to showcase their pride. We've also moved on to a more involved discussion on antibiotic resistance. That means I get to give to lessons on evolution and natural selection and I'm loving it. Most of them haven't heard of it before so no one interjects that God put us here and all that shit. It's refreshing. They even want to put together a performance showcasing that part of the curriculum.



Our Lady of Fatima and St. Jude

Still teaching complementary feeding at the health center. I'm getting some repeat customers so there's hope they're actually using what I teach them.



Diapers

The Nappy Project is going well, for the most part. Every time a nappy leaks I die a little inside. But from my research it seems like it's a never ending battle with cloth diapers, so at least it's not going directly on the floor so that's cool. Behavior change is a bitch, and the caregivers are still tying the towels around the waist like they have forever and then that leaks and goes right around the whole apparatus like it's not even there. So we're working on it. So there's 120 completed, with 80 in the works. If we can get at least 400-600 we'll be good. A few of the 120 are trash now, different mistakes with the sewing and wear and tear (because of mistakes with the sewing). But things are moving along.

Chicken Farm

This is probably the most exciting news so far. We've partnered with 2 rotary clubs. One in Uganda, and one abroad. The Rotary club abroad has agreed to match funds for the poultry farm if we can raise the other half. It is extremely important that the this project is Ugandans working towards better Uganda. That they take ownership of this project and have a sense of pride in their work. They are more than capable of fundraising just as much as any western country. I am so sick of hearing “well, someone should support us”. No, there are plenty educated, resourceful people right here in Uganda and they can do this. Why would wolf hunt if someone is already feeding it? It is unrealistic to think that they can raise the full amount, but half of the amount is more than doable. I hate the word “empowered”. It sounds like me, the westerner, has some power like fucking Galadriel and I can just give it to others. Every human is born with their own power and Peace Corps Volunteers need to be better at showing their community the power they already have. How arrogant and conceited of volunteers or voluntourists to think that they have the ability to give anyone anything.
St. Kizito is also working to send staff to Komonkali to learn to make homemade feeds for the chicken which cuts the costs almost in half. So now we're cooking with gas. It's still up in the air if I'll be here to see it's completion, but at least we're on the right track now.

Here's what we're doing to raise funds:

  1. Appeal letters
  2. Ugandan crowdfunding site Akabbo
  3. Marathon
  4. Benefit event at a local restaurant
House Keeping:
Water is back! 10 months later lol. It's nice to finally feel clean again, if only for a moment. And I thought it would make me better at being a better house keeper but, like, not really.
Our COS conference is next month so we're in the home stretch. I'm terrified.
Also, Goose has a cat harness that is hysterical.


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